GWS ColinJ.. DVT/Pulmonary Embolism

[beanzontoast]

Very late coming to this thread - hope you get well soon, Colin.

 

[ColinJ]

I can give you a warfarin good news story

saved wifeys life and that of my youngest son before he was born.

That's the kind of story I do want to hear! Three cheers for rat poison Warfarin!

Very late coming to this thread - hope you get well soon, Colin.

Thanks!

I've noticed a stronger pulse in my left leg today and the discomfort level when I walk on it has reduced so I hope that is a sign that the DVT is starting to dissolve away. I'm having a chat with my GP later today to discuss progress, blood tests and prescriptions.

I'll give it another week or so and then start walking about more to try and get some strength back in my legs. They haven't been this scrawny since I was a skinny student 30-odd years ago!

 

[potsy]

How much weight have you lost Colin?

 

[ColinJ]

How much weight have you lost Colin?

It was about 10 pounds when I was in hospital but I haven't weighed myself since I came out. (I'm staying at a friend's house and there are no scales here.)

I can tell you that I have lost at least 3 inches off my waist because a belt that was previously at its endstop had to be taken in 3 inches to stop my trousers slipping down!

 

[potsy]

You'll be needing a whole new wardrobe for 'Colinj's 2013 forum rides'

 

[ColinJ]

You'll be needing a whole new wardrobe for 'Colinj's 2013 forum rides'

Well at least those pesky lycra shorts should no longer be too tight by then!

 

[Rob3rt]

Glad you are feeling a bit better mate! Hopefully things keep improving at a nice rate

 

[Arsen Gere]

Best wishes Colin.
On the good news front my mate Big Ron (6' 5 and 18 stone) had exactly the same problem. They took him in with chest pains, diagnosed some infection or other and pumped him full of antibiotics. They kept saying he's a big fell give him more. It wasn't until the consultant saw him still in agony that he instantly diagnosed a clot. Dropped him some warfarin and he was much better in an hour. That was twelve years ago, he's nearing 60 now and fit as a lop. I used to sit next to him when he weighed all his food at work out what doses he had to take. I guess things have moved on in that time and treatments will have improved. I see him out on his bike regularly, he swims too and you would not know he had been ill. It took him about a year to fully recover but once he got over the first month or so he was back to work. Quite remarkable really considering the state he was in.

 

[ColinJ]

I like Big Ron's story!

Yes, they are careful to work out the right Warfarin dose these days - too little and it is not going to be doing what it should be for you; too much ... well, it is rat poison - you don't want to be taking too much!

I'm definitely improving. I know it sounds a small thing, but I just managed to get out of bed, make myself a cup of tea and carry it back up to bed without collapsing!

I tried doing that before I went into hospital and almost blacked out when I got to the kitchen. I then took 5 minutes to recover enough to make the tea, and had to shuffle back up the stairs one tread at a time. I was too wasted to drink the tea when I finally got back to bed!

I think I will try sitting on the doorstep in the sunshine for a while later this afternoon. I have hardly been outdoors for 6 weeks and need to get some sunlight on my skin.

I realise now how much I took my good health for granted. When I have it back, I hope I appreciate it more and will do my best to preserve it. No more late nights drinking beer while watching TV, and long days slumped in front of a computer and not taking exercise breaks.

I want to lead my hilly forum rides from the front, not 'coordinate' them from the back!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I like Big Ron's story!

Yes, they are careful to work out the right Warfarin dose these days - too little and it is not going to be doing what it should be for you; too much ... well, it is rat poison - you don't want to be taking too much!

I'm definitely improving. I know it sounds a small thing, but I just managed to get out of bed, make myself a cup of tea and carry it back up to bed without collapsing!

I tried doing that before I went into hospital and almost blacked out when I got to the kitchen. I then took 5 minutes to recover enough to make the tea, and had to shuffle back up the stairs one tread at a time. I was too wasted to drink the tea when I finally got back to bed!

I think I will try sitting on the doorstep in the sunshine for a while later this afternoon. I have hardly been outdoors for 6 weeks and need to get some sunlight on my skin.

I realise now how much I took my good health for granted. When I have it back, I hope I appreciate it more and will do my best to preserve it. No more late nights drinking beer while watching TV, and long days slumped in front of a computer and not taking exercise breaks.

I want to lead my hilly forum rides from the front, not 'coordinate' them from the back!

Good to hear you are starting to feel a bit better colin I must admit your situation has prompted me to up my cycling a bit and I am making more of an effort to change my eating habits and I have gone down 2 belt notches in the last month.

I look forward to seeing you out on a forum ride next year zooming past me

 

[ColinJ]

Good to hear you are starting to feel a bit better colin I must admit your situation has prompted me to up my cycling a bit and I am making more of an effort to change my eating habits and I have gone down 2 belt notches in the last month.

I look forward to seeing you out on a forum ride next year zooming past me

Keep it up!

I knew I was having to work way too hard when I was out on my bike because I was too heavy and unfit for what I was trying to do. The rest of the time I was a full-on couch potato!

I'm hoping that a lot of people stop and think about what has happened to me, and consider whether they need to change their lifestyles too. It happened to me, so it can happen to you too, folks!

I had absolutely no warning signs that this was happening - in mid-July I did a hard, hilly 100 km forum ride to Otley. Less than a week later, I couldn't breathe properly and was becoming seriously ill!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Keep it up!

I knew I was having to work way too hard when I was out on my bike because I was too heavy and unfit for what I was trying to do. The rest of the time I was a full-on couch potato!

I'm hoping that a lot of people stop and think about what has happened to me, and consider whether they need to change their lifestyles too. It happened to me, so it can happen to you too, folks!

I had absolutely no warning signs that this was happening - in mid-July I did a hard, hilly 100 km forum ride to Otley. Less than a week later, I couldn't breathe properly and was becoming seriously ill!

I am sure it will have some effect on a lot of people as they get on towards their 40' and 50's.

I started cycling again in 2006 because I deciced that my life style of sitting on my arse smoking 20 - 30 fags a day and drinking a lot was probably going to kill me eventually, and that as I was getting into my 40's I was rapidly approaching the time when that was going to happen, so I could either carry on trying to kill myself or do something about it.

Also another contributing factor was when my brother-in-law died of lung cancer in the early 2000's and he was only 52 and didnt even smoke at that time.

 

[Night Train]

I'm definitely improving. I know it sounds a small thing, but I just managed to get out of bed, make myself a cup of tea and carry it back up to bed without collapsing!

I can really appreciate that 'small thing'.
Though I was only injured and and at relatively little risk it was often the tiny advances that felt amazing.

Keep it up and keep improving.

 

[potsy]

I want to lead my hilly forum rides from the front, not 'coordinate' them from the back!

There's a first time for everything
I've made that quote my sig to remind you

 

[ColinJ]

I finally came home from my friend's house today. I had been feeling better and thought it was time to be a bit more independent again.

I was going to make myself something to eat when I got home but became distracted by the fact that my fridge had frozen up. I spent some time defrosting it and then realised that I was feeling knackered so I just had some cold snacks instead. I evidently haven't made quite as much progress as I thought I had! Never mind - I'll just have to take it easy and not rush into doing more than I'm well enough to tackle.

How much weight have you lost Colin?

I can now answer that question - I was 16 st 1 lb when I was taken ill (down from my peak of 16 st 8 lbs) and am now 14 st 12 lbs. Unfortunately, several lbs of that loss is from my muscles which are nowhere near as strong as they were, but I have definitely lost a significant amount of body fat. I've lost nearly 4 inches off my waist. At least some good has come of this illness!